National Hockey League tickets have become such a hot commodity in Detroit over the years that many local fans consider themselves lucky when they get the opportunity to see their team play live.

The feeling was no different in 1926-27, although the reason most certainly was. When Detroit made its NHL debut that season, it did not yet have a place to play -- at least not at home.

Detroit became a part of the league's southward expansion in the roaring 20s when Charles Hughes, a prominent local businessman, spent $100,000 to purchase the Victoria Cougars franchise of the Western Hockey League and join the NHL just as the 1926-27 season was about to begin. Unfortunately for Hughes, the new Olympia arena that would house the team was still under construction, meaning the Cougars had to play all their "home" games across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario. Fans who really wanted to see their new team, would have to travel to do so.

Few did. The Detroit Cougars lost $84,000 at the gate and 28 of its 44 games on the ice. Things got so bad over the next few seasons that the team's management listened to some local media members and changed the team's name to the Falcons in 1930. They hoped a new name would change their luck.

It didn't, but the purchase of the team by a man named James Norris in 1932, did. A former player with an amateur team in Montreal known as the Winged Wheelers, Norris adapted the name to fit his new team. He created a new logo by adding an automobile tire to a flying wing, a design he felt would appropriately represent the city and its important car industry.

Norris also set about building a team the city would take pride in, and with the managerial genius of Jack Adams, succeeded in doing just that. Four years later, the Detroit won its first Stanley Cup, a feat they repeated the following.

The Red Wings have become one of hockey's most successful franchises over the years, winning nine Stanley Cups and bringing legendary players such as Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Terry Sawchuk and Steve Yzerman to the NHL. And the city has gone to develop a love affair with the sport, so much so that it is now commonly referred to as "Hockeytown."

Hockey certainly has come a long way in Detroit since November 18, 1926, when the city's team, then known as the Cougars, played its first game in the NHL -- at "home" while being on the road. It was one of the many memorable events that took place during the week of November 15-21 in hockey history.

November 15

Bobby Orr redefined the role of defensemen.(AP)   He will always be remembered for his scintillating rushes up the ice, taking passes deep in his own end and gathering speed as he raced past opponents along the wings. Bobby Orr's career was cut short because of debilitating injuries to his knees, but in the decade that he played, he not only thrilled fans, he revolutionized the way defensemen played the game. Orr gave the Bruins a fourth forward whenever he was on the ice, something that was driven home on this date in 1973 when he set a record for most points in a game by a blueliner when he scored three goals and set up four more in a 10-2 rout of the New York Rangers. The record was eclipsed by Tom Bladon of the Flyers in 1977 and Paul Coffey of Edmonton in 1986. Each of those defensemen scored 8 points in the game, but no one can ever erase the mark that Orr made on the game itself.

November 16

Bill Cook and the Rangers made their NHL debuts in 1926.    With wins so hard to come by this season, wouldn't it be great for hockey fans in New York to turn back the clock a little? Say about 63 years. On this date in 1926, the two New York franchises -- the Rangers and the Americans -- both posted victories. And by shutouts, no less. These days, the New York teams have trouble winning in the same week let alone the same day, but then, things were different. The Rangers, in their first season of play, stopped the Montreal Maroons 1-0 behind the strong goaltending of Hal Winkler and went on to win the American Division that season. Not to be outdone, the rival the Americans found themselves in a close contest with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and ended up winning by the same 1-0 score as Jake Forbes earned a well-deserved shutout.

November 17

Mario Lemieux could alter a game all by himself.(Allsport)   Mario Lemieux scored 673 goals during his career (including playoffs), won two Stanley Cups, three MVP awards, six scoring titles and was an All-Star eight times. He accomplished this while playing only 13 seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and overcoming both debilitating back pain and the effects of Hodgkin's disease. While some people might argue whether he was the greatest player who ever lived, few would dispute his reputation as the game's purest talent. Lemieux could skate, shoot, stickhandle, create plays and carry his team -- and often several clingy opponents -- on his back. He was the hockey equivalent of a five-tool baseball player and there is no telling what kind of numbers he would have achieved had his career not effectively been cut short. Super Mario made such an incredible impact on the game than on this date in 1997, hockey paid him the ultimate tribute, waving the mandatory three-year post-retirement waiting period to induct him into the Hall of Fame. He shared the honor of the evening with two other inductees -- Bryan Trottier and Glen Sather.

November 19

Wayne Gretzky was hockey's King in Los Angeles.(Allsport)   It's no exaggeration to say that one of the defining moments in hockey history took place in the summer of 1988 when Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings by Edmonton. The game's greatest attraction resurrected the struggling franchise and made Kings home games a cool place for Hollywood types to hang out. More important, having Gretzky play in the United States created an unprecedented level of excitement and exposure for the game and set the stage for tremendous growth by opening the Sun Belt for the NHL. Today, the league boasts three teams in California, two in Florida and others in Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, Carolina and Georgia, locales few would have imagined as hockey venues when Gretzky first skated on the Great Western Forum ice in Los Angeles as a King. On this date in 1998, Gretzky played for the final time at the Forum, but as member of the New York Rangers. He was able to look back with pride at the venue where he scored 143 goals and 369 assists in 269 games, and forever changed the face of hockey.

November 20

George Hainsworth had the greatest single season ever by a goalie.    When the NHL decided to expand beyond Canada's borders in the 1920s, the first place it set up a franchise was in Boston. The Bruins were the only American team in the league when they debuted in the 1924-25 season, although they didn't really have a place to call their own home just yet. That all changed on this date in 1928, when the Boston Garden opened its doors to hockey with a game between the Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens. The visitors won the game 1-0 behind the goaltending of George Hainsworth, who started on the path to establishing two records that night. Hainsworth's shutout was the first of 22 he would post that season, a single-season record that has never been approaches. Hainsworth also allowed only 43 games in the 44-game schedule that season for a 0.92 goals-against average. It was the only time in league history that a goaltender has given up less than a goal a game over the course of a season.

November 21

Doug Wilson was one of Chicago's greatest defensemen.(Allsport)   The Chicago Blackhawks made Doug Wilson the sixth overall choice in the 1977 draft, assuming they were acquiring a defenseman who could bolster their offense and would be around for the long haul. They were right on both counts. Wilson played 14 seasons with the Blackhawks, becoming the team's highest scoring blueliner in history and leading the team's defenseman in points for 10 consecutive seasons. He played in six All-Star games while in a Chicago uniform and won the James Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman in 1982. One of his most notable milestones took place on this date in 1992 when he became the 77th player in NHL history to appear in 1,000 regular-season games. Wilson was a member of the San Jose Sharks by that time, and ironically, the historic game was played against the team that traded him, the Chicago Blackhawks.

Historical photos courtesy of hockeyonline.com